Sugarcane is a crop of great importance within the agricultural sector and its cultivation is related to the production of sugar, industrial alcohol and fuel, rum and wax.
In abnormal weather conditions such as the green-house effect or the “El Niño” effect, the atmospheric temperature and moisture can often stay above normal and cause severe sugarcane yield losses, specifically from the lack of ripening. When the lack of ripening is from these natural causes, the use of chemical ripeners can help to solve the problem and mitigate the environmental conditions.
Chemical ripeners are also used when a sugarcane crop is in the middle or at the end of the crop season, and there are intentions to harvest before the natural period of ripening. Finally, chemical ripeners are also utilized when control of sugarcane blooming is desired.
Chemical ripeners preserve or even increase the yield of the sugarcane crop in the above-mentioned scenarios. Traditionally, glyphosate and trinexapac-ethyl have been used as chemical ripeners in sugarcane crops. Common problems with using these traditional chemical ripeners are reduced yield of return crops and high use rates. High use rates can adversely affect cost, handling issues and the environment.